War of the Benders- Book 1: Water
by Lady Grasshopper
Summary: In the twilight of an anti-bending dynasty, the water spirit issues a new mandate of heaven, an airbender fights the corruption within the court, the last heir of the land gets help from some earthbenders and a waterbending warlord rises to power. Please R&R!
1. The Fury of Heaven

I love the 'Avatar: The Last Airbender' series and I couldn't help but notice how some of the attack move sets in dynasty warriors resemble bending. So I decided to write a story with bending.

For those of you that don't know, benders are people born with the ability to control or 'bend' the elements. The Avatar is the only bender who can control all four elements; earth, fire, air and water. When an Avatar dies, they are reborn to a different group of benders and must relearn how to bend the elements. This whole process is called the 'Avatar Cycle'. The purpose of the Avatar is to connect the mortal realm with spirit realm and bring peace and balance between them and to them both.

Personality types affect the style and strength of the bender's ability, but benders aren't automatically born with these super awesome abilities. They're born benders, but they have to learn how to use their bending from bending masters.

Firebenders are ambitious and determined with fierce personalities. Waterbenders are humble and cunning who utilize strategy to overcome. Earthbenders are patient people waiting for just the right moment to strike and when the time comes, to strike with unyielding force. Airbenders are a defensive and spiritual people, but when they do attack, they attack with lethal force.

Not all people are benders. They're called 'non-benders'.

Historical and cultural accuracy won't be a major factor in this story. If you've seen 'avatar', then please don't be upset when I change the aspects of bending to suit my story as well.

Enjoy!

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War of the Benders

Book 1: Water

1. The Fury of Heaven

The Heavens is a realm within that of the mortals'. It is a temple, much like a castle, in the mountains. The castle temple is hidden from mortal eyes and too far to climb to if any human could see it at all. The temple is an intricate combination of towers, walkways and courtyards built of white marble. The halls are lined with torches that hold a golden flame that never dies. Along with the torches are tapestries of yin and yang varying from white and gold to black and gold. The curtains covering the windows are a kind of blue-green silk. The rugs vary as much as the people that live below the heavens itself.

This is the home of Nu Wa.

Nu Wa, immortal, the goddess of creation and the sculptor of all mankind. She was the first empress and master of the mystics and yet, she was dishonored by a common man, a mortal! He may be the standing emperor, but that only made his violation worse. Oh how he had prayed to see her. He wanted to know that his goddess supported him. He wanted to see her. He had begged to gaze upon her for years.

His family dynasty had been true enough, so she decided to permit him to see her, in her true form, but she didn't allow him to see her directly. She let him look upon her from the other side of a white curtain. It hadn't been the first time she had let mortal men see her and this is how she let them.

Then he disgraced her. His disgusting poem of lust and sex sickened her. She had permitted him gaze upon her, not a very common thing and that was how he repaid her. She was degraded by a mere man, a mortal. She would never let him, or any of his descendants, gaze upon her again.

She openly cursed him and vowed to bring his family dynasty to its end.

Emperor Ling of Han, your days are numbered. Your entire family will fall to ruins and you will watch as your goddess, your creator, destroys it. Killing an emperor would be simple enough, but she didn't simply wish to kill Ling, she wanted to destroy his family's role as the leaders of the land and she wanted him to watch it all happen, from the underworld.

She would issue a new Mandate of Heaven. All she had to do was find the right man to have it. He had to have the strength to carry out her orders, for they would be brutal. He couldn't be a weakling and he would have to be ready to serve her. Mortals were vile. They couldn't govern themselves. This man would have to be willing to obey her orders and being willing to give them to hundreds of thousands of men.

She would find this man, this champion, at the next battle to come, the yellow turban rebellion. Priest were rebelling against Emperor Ling. For her plan, she should be siding with Zhang Jiao, but he was a sage. He was no more than a magician who thought he could be considered one of the spirits. 'General of Heaven' indeed. For that, she would fight against him and she would find her champion in the ranks of He Jin, Emperor Ling's trusted servant. After all, who better to bring a dynasty to its knees than someone from the inside?

First, she had to prepare. She called for a meeting of the spirits.

Among them was Zuo Ci, her servant and a fire spirit, a very tall man with long facial hair and a strange blue painted swirl over his right eye. He wasn't one of the spirits, but she took a liking to that mortal man and gave him magic for his use. It was limited however. All she gave him was the power to move from place to place in his little cloud of black and purple smoke and some magic tarot cards he could use as his weapons along with predicting possible future events. She didn't quite understand why he used those cards when she offered him a weapon, but when she asked him what else he wanted, beyond transportation and the knowledge of how to come to the Realm of Heaven, he replied that he wanted a way to see possible futures. So she gave him the cards. They were completely under his control. So he used them for their magic and for their sharp edges.

Fu Xi, her brother and her husband was there also. Fu Xi was also tall, taller than she was. He often wore silver armor that glistened and gleamed in the light of the gold torches and used a large silver blade as his weapon. He was modest, quiet most of the time, but he never let his strong opinion go unheard. He didn't visit the world of the mortals often, if at all. When he did, he never let his immortality be known and appeared to be a common man. She didn't understand that. He was also very enthusiastic and brave. When there was a fight, he wouldn't hold back the value of his aid. However, he hadn't been in a fight for hundreds of years.

Taigong Wang was the third member of the spirits and a spirit. He wasn't as tall as Fu Xi, but he was still taller than she was. They had similar silver colored hair, but his skin was tan, hers wasn't. He wore black and white robes most times. He was a very egocentric person who understood mortals better than she and Fu Xi. He was cocky and yet good-hearted in addition to being level headed. He had been a strategist during his mortal life, but his talents had caught her attention and she brought him to the heavens and restored his youth when he had died. Unlike Zuo Ci, he hadn't asked for any magic. She couldn't figure out why.

The four of them sat around a circular white table in one of the many sitting rooms of the castle temple.

"Thank you for coming. Let's get this started." She announced. "A new mandate of heaven is to be issued to my people. Emperor Ling has degraded me and his dynasty will fall for it."

Taigong Wang nodded. Zuo Ci seemed troubled. Fu Xi didn't react.

"Yes, humans can't rule themselves." Taigong Wang agreed.

She raised an eyebrow. Taigong Wang hadn't even been in the heavens for half a millennia and he had already separated himself from the rest of mankind.

"Nu Wa, you underestimate the humans. They are capable. We just need to find the right one among them to rule. They can bring peace back to their word. I have seen that there is a great hero among them and…"

"Enough, Zuo Ci," She interrupted. "As a new spirit, I have appointed you to keep me updated on the affairs of the humans. Not to tell me what I should do about my creations. I will return to the world of the mortals and I will find the one that I find capable of ruling. He will obey the heavens and he will be strong enough to rule."

Zuo Ci was a good servant to her, but he often spoke beyond his turn, which made him frustrating for her. He was still mortal. She was his goddess, but rank really didn't seem to matter to him. She would still remind him of his place regardless.

"The Han has become fated to fail when they angered the heavens… Alright, let's go!" Fu Xi agreed.

She held up her hand to stop him from standing up.

"No. Fu Xi, these are my creations. Therefore, they are my responsibility. I'll show you my skill and I'll bring peace back to the mortals. Zuo Ci, who is this hero you spoke of?"

"His name is Liu Bei."

"And you believe that he has the might necessary to rule the world of the mortals?"

"No, he has the justice to."

She didn't need justice, she needed strength. Justice would never unite the people, strength would. It always did. Besides, a man of justice was always a man of ideals. That meant he had a free mind. He would have to be content with taking her orders, or suffer the same fate that was rapidly approaching Emperor Ling.

"I need a strong man, one of cunning."

"Then there is Cao Cao. He is the stronger of the two, but he doesn't fight for justice, or the people."

Cao Cao. Liu Bei. She already had two names and she hadn't even left the heavens yet. She had a good start. Hopefully, fate would continue to provide her with such good fortune. Neither Cao Cao nor Liu Bei sounded more impressive than the other. However, she knew that she couldn't recognize one of her creations by the name the other mortals had given them. A name was only a way to tell things apart. They didn't mean much to her. She would have to meet them, at least see them.

"Liu Bei and Cao Cao, they are the ones I shall start my search with." She decided.

"Please be cautious." Fu Xi pleaded.

She nodded.


	2. The General of Heaven

2. The General of Heaven

The goddess of creation returned to the world of the mortals in her true form, but she didn't permit for mortal eyes to see her.

The Yellow Turban Rebellion was fought in the south, the desert land where famine had stricken and high taxes drained the people of their resources. In their anger, they rebelled. If the man she was looking for was here, then she would make sure that the credit of He Jin's victory went to him. Then the people would know that this man was the absolute leader in the future.

She walked among the emperor's men in the imperial army's main camp. Most of them were just boys. They looked too young to be a part of the battle that was to come. Mortals may be incompetent creatures, but she didn't like it when the young ones were forced to arms. She had only just carved them and she wanted them to live longer, at least long enough to have a halfway decent life and so that her work wasn't so short lived.

She found He Jin's tent in the center of the camp. Ironic, if He Jin was the emperor's best man and wisest choice to lead this force, then why would he be leading it from the back and why did he have to sleep where he would be surrounded by his soldiers? The man she chose would lead from the front, the vanguard, not the back where he would only be watching everything.

Many soldiers and strategist gathered to the tent. Ha! What kind of great general needed so many strategists to make a battle plan? She could already cross He Jin off the list of potential candidates to receive the new mandate of heaven.

The sword was strapped to her back.

Every time a new mandate was given, something had to be shown for it. Emperor Ling's ancestor had received a helmet, which had recently vanished back to its place on the shelves of heaven's libraries. Rumors were already spreading that Emperor had lost heaven's mandate. Zhang Jiao thrived off of this. His armies nearly doubled after the rumors started.

Nu Wa entered the tent. Before her was a long table with occupied chairs on either side. The man she assumed was He Jin was sitting at the head of the table. He was an old man, which was another reason for her not to choose him. The man she chose needed to be young, possibly still a teenager so that he would still have plenty of years of life left.

"Zhang Jiao is here."

One of the strategists pointed at a map.

"The main route to him is cut off by the strong winds he has summoned. Sun Jian went east. Cao Cao and Liu Bei both went west. We will crush the enemy force between them."

Summon winds, ha! They called him a magician. He was no more than an a powerful air bender. Air benders were rare and their abilities hardly understood.

She turned and left. Hum, Sun Jian. Zuo Ci didn't mention him. If she knew which of her creations received which name, then she would know who he was, but she didn't. She remembered every single human she had ever carved, but she didn't know the names they were given. Thus, she couldn't tell the humans apart here when she only knew their name. She didn't know who Cao Cao or Liu Bei was either thanks to the fact that mortals wouldn't confide in the gods for names.

First, she would find this Sun Jian and then she would assess Cao Cao and Liu Bei. The strategist said that Sun Jian had gone east. So that's where she went. It didn't take her long to find Sun Jian. He was a large, muscular man with bright red and gold armor and a fire bender.

"Zuo Ci." She summoned.

The man appeared before her. She concealed them both from the eyes of the mortals.

"Who is this Sun Jian?" She asked.

"Sun Jian, the tiger of Jiangdong, is the head of the mighty Sun family. He was the one to conquer the east."

Tiger of Jiangdong huh? Jiangdong was a pretty vast area. It would take great strength to conquer it.

"Tell me more about him."

"He's a descendant of the legendary Sun Tzu. He has two sons and a daughter. His oldest and his heir is Sun Ce. His other son is Sun Quan and his daughter is Sun Shang Xiang. All of them are firebenders."

"So he's a family man too." She summarized. "Tell me Zuo Ci, do you think that a powerful leader can also be a family man? Or an ambitious fire bender could take orders?"

"I think that any man who is a family man has great heart."

Is heart what the man she was searching for needed? Did that heart make him weak, or would it bring balance to his life? She wasn't sure, which was strange for her. Normally it was Taigong Wang to think these kinds of things with his overworked strategist's mind. Nu Wa knew her creations. She knew their nature. She would just have to learn Sun Jian's character before she could seriously consider him. So she took a long hard look at him. She could see his love for his three children. She could also see that he was very forgiving. He didn't hold any mistakes that the generals made against them. No, he wouldn't work. A true leader can only forgive so much.

"Thank you for your council, Zuo Ci. Of course you already know that I'd prefer you don't meddle with any man I consider to receive my mandate. I need to learn who they are, not what your ideals could make them."

She dismissed him and continued to the west, but Zuo Ci only followed her.

"Do you have anything else to say?" She questioned.

"Yes, I do. Remember this, Nu Wa, it takes human love and devotion to rule over other humans. You may not know the strength of the human heart, but I do. Rebellions like these happen when their leaders ignore them. The man you're looking for doesn't exist. No man can bring the whole land to its knees, but get on his before you. It will be one or the other."

Then Zuo Ci's thunder-like sound rang out as he disappeared in an explosion of black smoke and purple lightning.

Zuo Ci was a good spirit and wise old man, but she was the older and the wiser. He was still human in his philosophy and this was her world, she had carved it herself and the people in it proved incompetent. A dynasty that lasted hundreds of years was crumbling all because of a few air benders. These men that called themselves 'generals of heaven' were insulting to her. She would destroy them to prove the spirit's strength and then she would pronounce a new mandate and help that man carve a new dynasty that would last forever.

She found Liu Bei first. He was a gentle looking man, weak. His armor and two short swords gave the illusion of a soldier. Maybe he could fight, but he was no man of true strength. She could tell by the way he fought that he fought for the people. He may only be the commander of the volunteer forces, but she could see that he was more devoted to saving the people than fighting for the ideals he had. No, saving the people was his ideals. It was heroic enough, but heroes of people only lasted as long as the people that loved them did. As soon as the fighting was over, the people wouldn't take notice of him, or they would expect the fight to continue just because of his presence. It was something she would have to remember when the chaos did end.

She sighed. Liu Bei was simple and gentle. He was not what she needed. Now everything depended on Cao Cao. If he wasn't what she needed, then she would either have to find someone else to give the mandate of heaven to, or she would have to sculpt the man from the beginning and shape him to become what she needed and hope he would be born to a noble or military family.

The spirits could take over this world, it would easy enough for her to do, but she couldn't do it again. It had been tried before and it had lasted for a long while. She had been empress for many years, but since then, the mortals destroyed the immortals in their minds. Since no one had believed in her and Fu Xi anymore, they left to live in the heavens. The mortals clearly expressed that they wanted to be ruled by another mortal. All the mortals wanted from the spirits now was guidance. That's why the mandate was so important. It was the only thing she could do in this world that every single mortal would honor for as long as she willed.

Cao Cao, could you be the one?

Then she found him. He was riding a top a tall black stallion. His robes were elaborate. Strange, he was wearing robes, not armor. Did he fight, or was he over confident in his skills? She saw a simple broadsword at his side. The humans would call it expensive and beautiful, but to her, it was no better than a blunt blade. She could see ambition in this man, much like the fire benders. He was a very loyal man, but he wasn't loyal to his superiors, he was loyal to his ideals, but that wasn't bad sense his and her goals paralleled. All he wanted was to end the chaos, by any and all means. His emotions wouldn't sway him from pursuing his goal. He also had a temper, which his men were often on the bad end of.

Good, everything was looking for was in this man. The only thing that worried her was his ambitions that weren't the same as hers. He wanted to rule the land. Good, he would need that strong resolve, but she couldn't quite see his vision for the land once it was his. Strange, reading a person was always so easy, but not Cao Cao. There was still a fog in his mind that prevented her from fully understanding him.

He was also a strong water bender. Using strategy to achieve victory as easily as possible as all water benders did.

She decided that this was the man she was looking for. She could turn his ambition to her advantage. She sat down on a crate as she began conjuring her master scheme. She couldn't just appear before him. Last time she did that, the man's heart failed him and he died. She knew that she would slowly have to ease her way into his knowledge. 'Miracles' were always a good way of doing that.

Miracles, depending on how one defined it, it was real, or there was no such thing. These 'miracles' the mortals spoke of were often good luck. Visions were usually the mortal's own doing too. Most times, they wanted to see something so badly that their minds created it for them. Still, sometimes, rarely, the gods did work in 'miracles' and when they did, other people often wouldn't believe it.

She looked over at him again. His skin was tanned from the sun. His eyes were brown, filled with intelligence and cunning. His smart wit could be seen in his posture. He had a broad chest and a straight back. His build certainly suggested a strong leader and his disposition was bold, not just for a youth, but for any man. He was strong and he was cunning, so she wouldn't have to hold his hand every step of the way. All he needed was an army and if she could find him the right strategist, no one could stop him.

The goddess stood up and drew her celestial blade. She tied her light shield to her left arm. Both the blade and the shield were made of heaven metal, the steel of the mountain that the temple castle was built upon. This steel varied in color. Her sword was the color of peach blossoms and silver. The shield was silver with jade colored edges. The sword of heaven had silver steel on the blade and gold on the hilt and guards with varying jewels. She kept it strapped to her back and decided to present it to him when she knew he was ready.

With her celestial blade and silver shield in hand, she approached her hero of chaos, but she still didn't allow him see her. Instead, she let her presence be felt. She stayed close to him and ran her sword though anyone that came too close to killing him. Her sword never drew blood. The blade pierced into their chests and stopped their hearts, stopped them long enough for Cao Cao to kill them.

However many of her creations she killed, it was never easy. She remembered them by their faces. She carved every one of them so carefully and deliberately. She remembered them all and why she had made them the way she did. She felt a piece of herself die with every one she killed.

With her help, they made quick work of the enemy base and they moved on to where Zhang Jiao's brother was conjuring a tornado with his air bending. With a raise of her palm, she halted the swirl of winds and allowed Cao Cao and the others to charge straight toward Zhang Jiao's camp without obstacles. Now she just had to make sure that it was Cao Cao to slay the 'general of heaven'.

Cao Cao and his soldiers stormed into the camp. It would be accurate to compare him and his men to a strong wave, even more so since his men were dressed in blue. Zhang Jiao and his men were dressed in yellow, and thus the Yellow Turban Rebellion. Liu Bei and his men were in green. The rainbow of uniforms was complete when the scarlet of Sun Jian's men arrived.

At last, Zhang Jiao was the last of the yellow turbans standing. Before she helped Cao Cao killed him, she wanted him to know who it was that brought about his demise. So she made him disappear before everyone else, but allowed him to see her. The other mortals were thrown into confusion. The leaders shouted orders for a search. The men began to scramble. The general of heaven looked around in bewilderment.

"Zhang Jiao, face your judgment." She ordered.

The air bender turned to face her. His dark and curly beard covered everything from the bottom half of his face to his chest, but he couldn't hide himself from her. She knew how terrified he was. His face was shocked to see her, but then filled with a false understanding of the meaning of why she was before him, one of those 'miracles' the mortals liked to speak of so often.

"Ahhhh…., the goddess of creation has come to give me her mandate! The way of supreme peace shall become the way of the land. Foul men, they do not believe in the spirits. Nor do they honor them."

She let him ramble for a while, just to humor him.

"They do not see the will of heaven. For I do and I shall…"

"No, Zhang Jiao." She interrupted as she became excessively annoyed. "I have come to issue a new mandate, but not to you oh great… 'general of heaven'." Sarcasm seeped from her voice. "I have come to tell you that no man, air bender or not, may fight in the name of heaven without my mandate. You are not more than a sage and yet you call yourself one of the spirits. I have come to send you to the underworld."

He threw himself down at her feet.

"Oh please, my goddess, my creator, don't…"

She stepped back away from him. She remembered when she had carven him. She made a knowledge filled man whose only desire was to serve the gods. She had intended him to be a powerful air bending monk, but that knowledge she gave him was no good for the shallow desires he had occupied in his life here.

"It's too late for you now, Zhang Jiao, but do not fear. When I carved you, I carved you in a great image to serve the gods. Your death will serve me… Now stand up."

With tears streaming down his face, he got to his feet. He clearly still obtained the obedience she had given him. She went over to Cao Cao, who still couldn't see her and led him over to where Zhang Jiao stood frozen by gently guiding his shoulders. It would feel like an impulse to him. She took his arm and undid the magic that hid Zhang Jiao from everyone by the use of will.

Then she whispered into his ear;

"There!"

When gods whispered into a mortal's ear when they were invisible, mortals called it their instinct. Mortals didn't have instinct. The gods gave that to animals because animals weren't in connection with the gods. It was a way for them to live longer. The humans had the gods, animals didn't.

When Zhang Jiao reappeared to the mortal's eyes, Cao Cao swung his arm and sent a half dozen spears of ice into Zhang Jiao's chest.

Everyone saw this. There was a moment when the only noise to be heard or movement to be seen was that of Zhang Jiao falling dead and Zhang Jiao's fierce wind slowly dying out.

Then the people began to cheer.

"Cheers for Cao Cao!"

"Cheers for Wei!"

"Cheers for peace."

Peace. Sadly, these mortals would not know peace for a long time. They might, if it was her will to restore the Han Empire, but it wasn't. Emperor Ling fell so far out of her favor that there was no hope for him any longer.

"Cheers for Cao Cao!"

A smirk grin crossed his face.

She turned and left down the central staircase that the dust storm previously prevented from being walked.

Cao Cao, you are the one to receive the mandate of heaven. Hopefully he was up to the hardships that lie ahead. If there was anyone that was up to it, she knew he was, but she still pitied him for a moment. For she was a goddess, not a fortune teller, she didn't know what lay ahead for Cao Cao, but he would have her mandate.

All she had to do now was find him some generals and a strategist. After getting credit for defeating Zhang Jiao, she was sure he could handle building even more of a reputation for himself.


	3. Dancer

3. Dancer

Diao Chan stood waiting. There were two sister beside her, fidgeting with their fans. The three of them were to be the main entertainment for the feast to celebrate the promotion of Sun Jian, one of the warlords to take down the yellow turbans, to Grand Minister.

Her father, Wang Yun, had arranged for her to produce half the music required for the feast.

X

Now was when they were supposed to go around and serve the wine. She led the sisters back into the dining hall, their fans had been replaced with porcelain pitchers of red wine, or in her case, tea. They began to walk among the rows of long tables that lined the halls, looking for someone to serve. The emperor only ever allowed her to ever serve him, never any other dancer. She was his favorite. She would have served him tonight if he wasn't sitting with his wife. She had never gotten along with the empress as well as she got along with the emperor. Of course, it wasn't hard for her to get along with men, not with her pretty face.

After a little while of searching, she found an unaccompanied man that she like the looks of.

His face alone was fearsome. With his black eyes set under bushy eyebrows, it gave him the appearance of a demon. He was dressed in black robes with light decorate armor, but there was something about him that made her curious about him.

Diao Chan made her way behind him.

"Refill, my lord?" She politely asked.

He turned to look at her and turned away and then he spun in his seat to face her again. The double take was clearly caused by how she filled out her costume since he was now staring at her. It made a little color flush in her cheeks.

"I don't drink wine, but you can have a seat anyway."

"I do not serve wine, my lord." She told him.

He gave her a look with a strange sort of smirk on his face.

"Really, what kind of..." He couldn't find the right word so he skipped it. "Doesn't serve wine?"

"What kind of general doesn't drink it?" She shot back.

He smiled.

"The kind of general that knows that wine will dull his senses and fighting skills if he would drink it."

She sat down next to him, letting her bare thigh brush against his hip for the briefest of moments before she completely settled in her seat.

"Quit calling me 'lord'. My name's Lu Bu."

She bit her bottom lip in a strange curious interest. Then she turned her head away, slightly embarrassed.

"You're the Lu Bu I heard about? Dong Zhuo adopted son?" She asked as she let her eyes wander back to him.

He raised his chin proudly.

"You've heard of me?" He asked.

"Of course I have."

It was the truth. She had heard of him. Only, she was going to flatter him beyond what she thought he deserved. He seemed to be enjoying it. She enjoyed his gloating. Seeing a mightly and powerful general act so foolish and immature was always amusing.

"But you haven't told me your name." He pointed out.

"My name is Diao Chan."

"Diao Chan." He repeated.

She some color to flush her cheeks and smiled to give him the illusion that she liked it when he said her name like that, just as she had been taught to do. It wasn't all bad, but his voice simply couldn't convey the tone he had been trying to.

"Diao Chan, capable, beautiful and graceful all in one."

She smiled and blushed uncontrollably as he listed off different meanings of her name.

"And you name refers to an incoming thunderstorm." She replied.

He smiled.

"I can see your beauty and you've proven how graceful you are, but Diao Chan, just how capable are you?"

She lowered her gaze to her lap since she knew that her eyes were bulging once again. If this was his idea of flirting, he didn't like to waste any time. So she didn't take his bait. Instead, she threw out some of her own, just for the fun of seeing his reaction. She was no courtesan.

"It depends on what the task is, but I'll leave that for you to find out, since I'm sure you'll be staying here in the capital for a while. Now if you'll excuse me, I have other guests to attend to."

"Of course, Diao Chan."

She gave him another smile and gracefully got to her feet. She started walking along the tables once again. A mere two seconds later, she was beckoned by an intriguing looking man. He wore stunning dark blue robes. His tan skin was complemented by his dark brown hair and hazel eyes. His neatly cut facial hair gave him a striking appearance. His companion was an equally impressive looking man.

Diao Chan took her seat next to the first one, the one who called her. She refilled his cup for him.

"Thank you and some for my cousin if you wouldn't mind."

She smiled.

"Not at all." She replied as she poured the second man his cup.

"My name is Cao Cao," The first man told her. "and this is my cousin, Xiahou Dun."

"I'm Diao Chan. You said Cao Cao, the son of Cao Song? You're the man that killed Zhang Jiao?"

Cao Cao smiled proudly.

"Yes."

"He was an airbender, wasn't he?"

"Yes."

"And you were still able to defeat him."

"Airbending may be mysterious, but waterbending is the strongest."

"How do you reason that?"

"Water is everywhere."

"Air is everywhere." She pointed out.

"Yes, but waterbending is preached and practiced. Airbending is a lost art."

She nodded. Cao Cao was charming enough, but she knew his type. He was the kind that once he got what he wanted, he left. So she took her leave once again. When they realized she had poured tea into their goblets, they quickly called one of those fan sisters over.

She found another large man dressed in red and gold armor. He was sitting with other men dressed in red. Red was the color of the Sun family. This must be Sun Jian. She may not be very acquainted with the regional lords. She didn't know them at first glance, but she knew enough to put the pieces together. So she went over to them.

"Would you like some warm tea, my lord?"

"No, thank you though."

She nodded and continued on. This was pathetic! All the other dancers had found a decent man to serve for the rest of the night. She would have thought that with all the regional lords gathered here that one of them would be up to her standards.

The next man she came to was Yuan Shao. She was very acquainted with him since he spent more time here than any other regional lord in the land. He was arrogant and self-righteous. She could barely stand his company when she had to. She didn't have to serve him, so she continued. She came to three men all sitting together. One had a long, flowing beard that almost went as far as his belt. Another had a mess of curly hair on his head and jaw line. The third stood out simply because he wasn't a giant. He was normal size. Only a little bit taller than she was. Unlike the others, he had no facial hair, but that gave him a gentle and youthful look.

"Refills, my lords?" She asked.

"Not for me. I've had enough for tonight." The one with the long beard answered as he stood up and left, opening a spot up for her to sit next to the gentle looking one.

"Not for brother Fei, he's about to pass out." He told her.

"Already?" She doubted.

He nodded. Then, right on cue, the frizzy hair man called 'Fei' passed out. He fell backwards with his arms sprawled out around him.

"Wow."

"Yes, my brother is quite the talented drinker."

"I hope he wasn't too drunk to see my performance." She thought aloud.

"Oh, it was you in the lead? I have to say, that was quite the performance. I've never seen someone dance with fans like you do. You must train hard to be able to do that."

Her cheeks reddened. She lowered her chin and turned away from him slightly so that he wouldn't see.

"Forgive me, my lady. I have not properly introduced myself. I'm am Liu Bei. I was commander of the volunteer forces during the rebellion."

She looked back at him.

"Liu Bei, are you related to the emperor?"

Right after she said it, she realized that she shouldn't have.

"I'm sorry Lord Liu Bei. I shouldn't be so blunt."

Liu Bei raised his hand to gesture that it was alright.

"It is quite alright, my lady, but I would like to have a name to call you." He told her.

She gave him a small grin.

"Would you like my real name or shall I make one up for you?" She teased.

He laughed.

"My name is Diao Chan." She told him when he stopped laughing.

"Well then, now that I know your name. I hope it is your real one. Diao Chan, it is a lovely night, would you like to go for a walk?"

She thought for a moment. Different mean had different personal meanings for the word 'walk'. Liu Bei seemed to be a good man. She doubted that his definition of 'walk' was the same as that of Cao Cao. So she decided to agree to it.

"Alright."

Liu Bei smiled as he jumped to his feet. He offered her his hand, so she took it, but didn't rely on it to get back to her feet. She walked next to Liu Bei with her hands locked together in front of her. They left the dining hall and walked to the gardens. She knew the castle well, so she knew exactly where they were.

"So Diao Chan, tell me about yourself."

She smiled shyly.

"I'm afraid that a dancer's life is not as near as exciting as a warlord's. Tell me of your life."

Liu Bei talked of his sworn brothers, that they were earthbenders and that he was not a bender. He talked about the yellow turban rebellion too. She noticed a dark figure following them. So she made an abrupt turn that would turn them both toward their pursuer, but he was gone. Diao Chan covered it all up by asking;

"So, you're loyal to the Han?" She asked.

"Yes, I am. Are you?"

"Yes."

They sat down at the base of a tree. The follower was still gone, but she didn't know for how long.

She couldn't know the reason, but Liu Bei had leaned in and kissed her. He placed a hand on the side of her neck. So she put her hand on his cheek. He was soft and gentle. If she was to ever have a husband, which was unlikely, but she would want one that would kiss her like Lui Bei was now.

Then there was a loud crash.

Both of them jumped and pulled apart, but they didn't see anything. Could it have been that person watching them? Who were they, and business did they have spying on her?

* * *

Hey, would really appreciate a review right about now so that I know that someone is interested in this story :)


	4. The Vengeance of Heaven

4. The Vengeance of Heaven

Nu Wa appeared before the gates of the capital city, Luoyang. She hid herself from the mortals' eyes and walked straight to the castle. Emperor Ling was somewhere inside and now he would know her anger and feel her vengeance. Her only regret was that she had to wait this long, but she had to. If Emperor Ling didn't have a half decent successor, then the land would be thrown into utter chaos and what chance would Cao Cao have then? However, because she waited so long, Sun Jian had been promoted to Grand Minister, which should work for her advantage. With Emperor Ling about to die right under his nose, he would fall out of favor in the court. That would give Cao Cao a chance to rise into the new emperor's favor.

Nu Wa pulled back the canopy curtain of Emperor Ling's bed and let herself be seen by mortal eyes. However, Ling was asleep. He wouldn't see her until he entered the netherworlds.

"Liu Ling." She whispered. "When I created you, I wanted you to be an energetic man with foolish ambition so that you could lead the land in a new direction. Your youth has never left you however and you thought you were invincible, just as any young man thinks, but not before the spirits. You have seen your family fall at your own hands. You know that the future does not belong to your sons. At least, not for long."

She drew out the celestial blade and raised the hilt high above her head. She aimed for the tip to pierce through his heart, but before she ran her blade though him. She paused for a second. This was the first time she had executed one of her own creations. With Zhang Jiao it had been Cao Cao to deliver the kill. This time, it was all her. She almost didn't want to give him the honor.

No one could deny her of her revenge. She was the creator of all mankind and she didn't have to answer to anyone but herself. With that in mind, she plunged the tip of her sword into the bottom of his heart.


	5. Conspirator

Well, it's been for forever and it's kinda like saying that the sky is blue to tell you that this story has been put on the backburner, but anyway, here ya go.

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5. Conspirator

She couldn't believe this, Emperor Ling was dead, died in his sleep. Now Liu Shao was emperor. She had never liked Shao, he was hard, strict and unforgiving, but he was untiring and talented. Instead of indulging in feasts and dancers like Ling, he tended to matters of state, taking care of things for himself instead of relying on his ministers, generals or even the eunuchs. When he no longer called for them to attended the council meetings, that's when they conspired to kill him and it didn't take long for them to plan it and prepare it. They had been quick about it though and so quiet that no one knew about it. So the only ones there were to stop them were the two men stationed in the capital, He Jin and Dong Zhuo.

Diao Chan watched the fight from her father's chambers.

"What does all this mean?" She asked him.

He approached her from behind and put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"That the Han is rotting from the inside."

"What can we do?"

"Nothing."

She looked over her shoulder to look him in the eye.

"But my bending, I can stop them!"

His hand tightened on her shoulder, not by much sense he was an old man, just enough to prevent her from moving.

"No, you can't. Maybe if you were an earthbender or a firebender, but airbending is mostly defensive and evasive. There's no effective away to attack a large amount of opponents with it. You could only knock them over and hope that they land on their own swords. You know this."

She looked down at her feet.

"But I can't just stay here and do nothing."

Just then, there was a loud scream. Diao Chan shot her gaze back to the courtyard below. He Jin had a sword tip protruding from his chest. The sword was ripped out of him. When he collapsed, he revealed Dong Zhuo had been standing behind him, sword in hand.

Chills ran up her spine. Not only the eunuchs, but also Dong Zhuo had turned.

"The Han is doomed." She whispered.

X

Everyone had been summoned to the courtyard to see Emperor Shao's body dragged out, his head was removed and stuck on a pike. Diao Chan would never forget the sight of it as long as she lived, how the eyes stared up toward the sun, the blood drifting down the shaft of the pike.

When all the benders were declared officially enemies of the state, that's when the firebenders couldn't take it anymore. They burned the entire city to the ground in the battle that resulted.

X

Everyone was forced to pack their things to leave the city. Emperor Xian was officially moving the capital from Luoyang to Chang'an. All those who swore their loyalty to Xian were marched out of the city. Those who had refused had been locked inside it as it burned.

Diao Chan looked over her shoulder. Half the city was engulfed in flames. The screams would start any second now as the people began losing places to escape the fire.

Diao Chan looked forward again, to the people ahead of them in the procession. They were the other advisors and their families.

"I'll find you a horse." She told Wang Yun, whom was leaning on her for support.

He had suffered a severe battle injury back when he had fought in wars.

Just then, a rider on a huge red horse rode past her, almost knocking her over. The rider looked over his shoulder to look at her briefly, but the he turned back again. Their eyes met and remained locked for a long moment. His eyes were black as his armor. He reined his horse to a halt so that the distance between them wouldn't become too great, but then he turned away from her and kicked his horse into a trot and rode off.

Lu Bu.

Dong Zhuo had adopted him as his own son and had given him the mighty beast of a horse as a gift.

She looked back over at her father, who had seen her shared gaze with Lu Bu.

"Maybe there is hope for the Han."

She didn't know how he meant or how he could think that while the capital and the people left inside it, where being burned alive.

X

Diao Chan and Wang Yun were settled into the new castle with relative ease, but there was nothing about any of this that left her at ease. Who knew what would happen next or whom else's head would also be put on a pike? But her father had a plan. He always had a plan. He paced her chambers while she sat on her bed. Wang Yun had been given a whole wing of the new castle. So there was more than enough room for him and his servants, thus is why she had her own chamber.

"You have caught Lu Bu's eye. He may not be a bender, but he could defeat Dong Zhuo and whatever bodyguards he may have."

"What if they're benders?"

"With the Han still holding onto power, there is no way any bender will side with Xian."

The Han had never been on friendly terms with the benders. The emperors had tolerated the bender's existence and their help when it was offered, but when a bender become too powerful or supposed a threat, they were disposed of. So most benders, at least, the powerful ones, had gone into hiding. Others, like Cao Cao and Sun Jian managed to keep their skin by hiding the extent of their skills or swearing loyalty, multiple times.

Xian was like the rest of the Han emperor's, only, he hated bending even more. Cao Cao, Sun Jian and even Liu Bei had fled when they found out Xian was ascending to the throne. The other benders, that hadn't, were all back in the remains of Luoyang. Xian may be a coward, but when cowards had strong men like Lu Bu at their disposal, they were dangerous.

"It's more important than ever that you keep your bending a secret."

She knew that. She would have been skinned alive if she didn't.

"Xian only has any power at all because of Lu Bu. If we can turn him against Xian…"

"There's no way." She interrupted. "Dong Zhuo is his father and Dong Zhuo has Xian wrapped around his finger. Even if Lu Bu was loyal to Xian, it doesn't matter because he's ultimately loyal to Dong Zhuo."

"Then we must get him to turn against Dong Zhuo and then kill him. Then Xian will be vulnerable."

"How?"

"If you could turn Lu Bu against Dong Zhuo… Get close to him."

It wasn't uncommon for masters to whore away their women slaves, but she didn't think that Wang Yun could possibly do it.

"Are you saying that…?"

"Yes,"

Her heart sank when he said it.

"The only thing that Dong Zhuo and Lu Bu have in common is their love for women. If you could get them to fight…"

"Lu Bu has a wife and daughter." She reminded.

"Yes and have you ever seen them together? Would you know her if you saw her?"

"No and I doubt anyone at court would."

"Exactly, she's off in some country house in a quiet village that's probably a two day ride away from here and you're right here. You're barely two minutes away at most."

So, her father's plan was for the beauty to tame the beasts. Then turn one beast against the other. She looked down at her hands on her lap. Wang Yun stopped pacing when he felt her eyes were no longer following him.

"Will you do it?"

"If I must prostitute myself for the sake of the land and it's people, I will."


	6. A Second Chance

Super excited, this is the first chapter through a new POV character! :)

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6. A Second Chance

Four people walked among the ruins, three men and one woman. They were all tall and they all had the same brown hair. Well, all of them, but the old man. His hair was silver with age. They were all clad in elaborate red and gold armor. There were swords and short blades tied to their belts. They looked like nobles. They probably were and they were probably benders too. All the nobles that weren't benders had gone with Dong Zhuo.

Just then, one of the men kicked a pile of burned chards in frustration.

"Look at this. That animal, we never should have let him go."

No one said anything in response.

Something caught the old man's eye. He jogged over to the well and reached his hand into the bucket.

"This is… a seal…"

He held up the imperial seal that glistened in the remaining fire light. The other three quickly jogged over to him. So he put the seal in one of the other men's hands.

"The one and only Imperial Seal? Really?" The other man asked as her held up the seal to see it better.

He held it as if it were something delicate, like a teacup.

"That's incredible! It's like the heavens themselves have chosen you!" The third man told the second while he leaned over his shoulder before snatching the seal and parading off with it. "I mean it has to be! What are the odds of this happening!?"

His voice was the kind that was never quiet and it was cheerful.

The second man turned back to the old man.

"Father?"

The old man didn't respond. He simply stood with his arms folded in front of his chest. He slowly stroked the bristles on his poorly shaven chin with his thumb and first finger.

When all three of the others turned to face the old man, he finally said something again.

"We should ally with Cao Cao."

"What!?" The other three shouted together.

"This is just the beginning. Xian is not going to stop until all bending and benders have been destroyed."

"I would like to see Xian try burning Jiangdong like he did Luoyang." The happy voiced man mocked.

The woman giggled.

"We'd burn them to the ground first." She added while she made a small flame dance on her fingers.

Firebenders!

Just then, a pile of burnt chards collapsed. Both of the younger men spun around, swords drawn.

"Who's there!?" The happy voiced one demanded, but his voice wasn't happy anymore.

The old man stepped in-between the two men and put his hands on their forearms. The two men lowered their swords. The old man walked past his sons and toward the chard pile. He kneeled down in front of it and drew his dagger. He used the dagger to push aside a piece of burnt wood.

"Who are you?" He asked.

His voice had been quiet and gentle, but she didn't answer him. What he must think of her! A little girl in singed, half burnt rags hiding under a pile of ambers and yet her skin and hair didn't even have a scorch mark, just some ashes.

"What's your name?" He repeated.

"Wang Yi."

Her voice had sounded more scared and young than she had wanted it to, but she was scared and she was young, maybe not so much anymore after what she had been through, but she wasn't even a teenager yet.

"Are you a firebender?"

"Yes."

"Is that how you were able to stay under there this whole time?"

"Fire never hurts me." She responded.

She grabbed one of the boards that was still red hot and pushed it off. There was a sizzling sound, but her hand didn't burn. She never burned, not even when simply under the sun.

"We're all firebenders too, but we can't touch fire like you can without getting burned." The old man told her.

"Why?" She asked. "Are you weak or something?"

"No, there are no other firebenders that can touch fire." There was a long pause before he continued. "You've never been taught anything about your bending, have you?"

"My father taught me a few things, but he's not a bender. He just studied it."

"Who is your father?"

"Wang Yun."

"Wait." The happy voiced man cut in. "Your father studies bending for a hobby and he's gone with Xian!?"

"No, he's going to kill Xian, he told me in a letter. He told me that he was going to kill Xian so that I wouldn't have to hide anymore. I've been hiding in Xiliang with my future husband's family, but when I got the letter, I came here because I knew that my father needed my help. You see, I'm a strong firebender."

"Yes, we can see that." The old man agreed.

"No, you haven't."

"No matter." The old man dismissed as he grabbed her arms and pulled her up and out of the rubble. "You're safe now. You can come with us to Jiang Dong and learn some real firebending."

Wang Yi looked over the others. The oldest of them couldn't be more than ten years older than she was. Where they all firebending masters? She could have become a master by that age if she had a master to teach her firebending her whole life like they did.

But they could teach her now!

She couldn't help but grin.

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Ok, Wang Yi probably wasn't Wang Yun's daughter, but she is in my story and there's no way Wang Yi was raised in Jiangdong, but she's gonna be in my story. She'll end up in Wei eventually. Anyway, let me know what you think!


	7. Trickster

Happy Saturday! If anyone out there is even reading this story, please let me know what you think. 6 chapters and only 3 reviews kinda sucks.

Special thanks to Polished Swirls! You're the best!

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7. Trickster

Diao Chan had served at a hundred feasts like this one in the past, but none like this. Wine seemed to be seeping from the cracks in the walls, dripping from the roof and flowing straight into the lords' mouths. Everyone everywhere was drunk.

She and the Qiao sisters watched the spectacle from behind a curtain. The other serving girls had left their wine pitchers on the tables and left. Some of the man servants were bringing out the barrels, not bothering with anything smaller.

"They'll drink the entire treasury in one night." The older Qiao whispered.

"Never before have the women servants been too afraid to serve." She added. "You two better go as well. Go straight to your room and lock the door behind you. Don't let anyone in."

Neither sister argued with her. Without a word, they turned around and went straight to their chamber. Unfortunately for her, she had no such luxury as to hide in her chambers and keep to herself, not tonight. She may not know the ways of men, but that was going to change, tonight. She didn't need to be a whore to know that men liked untouched women and that men like Lu Bu never got untouched women. Men like him only reused other men's used goods. His own wife wasn't a virgin when they were married.

Dong Zhuo on the other hand, he didn't care about any of that. All he was after was good wine and pretty faces, but he only took practiced women to his bed.

So Diao Chan took a deep breath, raised her chin and stepped through the threshold.

X

Diao Chan was dressed in a mockery of a gown. Violet tassels, pink flowers, gold lace, very little fabric. She looked more like and expensive whore than a songstress and that fool Dong Zhuo saw nothing else before him. It was so degrading, but if she had to whore herself to save the Han, then she would. What was one woman's honor compared to the lives of thousands?

The song she had been playing from the balcony ended. From where she was sitting, she could smell the ocean, feel the breeze and see Dong Zhuo's army. He had managed to press the emperor under his thumb. A coalition led by Yuan Shao had risen up against him. She could see their ships on the horizon.

Dong Zhuo was inside with his little pets, the two sisters whose father had just died. They were young and innocent, but they wouldn't remain that way for long.

"It seems Dong Zhuo has developed an interest in dancers." Lu Bu told her as her approached her from behind.

She didn't turn around.

"Watching them with their fans… it reminds me of my father's other dancers that I used to dance with before I came here."

At first, Lu Bu was annoyed with her after Dong Zhuo had claimed her as his own, implying that she was just Dong Zhuo's pet and she should be grateful for his care, but when he saw Dong Zhuo take her in the middle of a feast, his attitude changed. He was never annoyed with her after that. He had her sing for him often, to keep her too busy for Dong Zhuo. That's when Dong Zhuo got his latest pets.

Those girls had to go. She was to be the wedge to drive Dong Zhuo and Lu Bu apart. If Dong Zhuo had other girls to entertain himself with, then her father's plan would fail.

"A message from your father."

Lu Bu handed her a letter. She opened it and read.

"_Diao Chan,_

_This may not be what we planned, but the situation is still salvageable. Get rid of the sisters and draw Dong Zhuo's attention back to you. Then make sure Lu Bu sees what happens when Dong Zhuo figures out your hand in their escape._

_Wang Yun_"

So she was help the Qiaos escape, suffer Dong Zhuo's wrath and use her beatings to drive them apart. It was the most logical plan and it was so like her father, cold and calculating. If she survived the beating, what then? How could she make sure Lu Bu saw it?

"What does it say?" Lu Bu asked.

Diao Chan cast the letter to the wind. She added a soft breeze to the air to carry the letter straight into the ocean.

"He says he wants me to flee while I can."

"Will you?"

She stood up and turned to face the coming fleet of ships. She placed her hands on the rail and leaned on it.

"What choice do I have?"

Lu Bu moved next to her.

"I want you to stay."

He placed his hand on top of hers. He wasn't ever an affectionate creature and he was brutish as a lover. At least Dong Zhuo gave an attempt to make it pleasant for his pets, no matter how trivial his attempts were. He thought it was a trill to hump in front of a hundred guests.

Diao Chan lifted herself onto the balcony railing. She leaned her head back and enjoyed the breeze on her back. If she slipped, the fall would be lethal, but she was an airbender. She wasn't afraid of heights, no airbender was.

She made the breeze pick up into a wind. She wasn't a strong airbender. Air was the element of freedom, of being able to go where you want, when you want. She was anything but free, but she did know a few tricks.

Lu Bu grabbed her arm.

"What are you doing?"

"Enjoying the thought of freedom. If I could just fly away… I'd be free to see the world. Meet new peoples."

"Find someone to have a good fight with. A good challenge."

She rolled her head back and laughed.

"Is that all you think about, Lu Bu? A challenge?"

"I think about all kinds of challenges."

She leaned towards him.

"I have a challenge for you. Meet me here, tonight, when the moon is at its highest."

"We'll get caught."

She put her hand over his, which was still holding her arm. She felt it soften immediately.

"I don't care and you're Dong Zhuo's adopted son. He loves you. If he found out about us. I don't think that he would… you know… get in our way. Besides, he doesn't seem so interested in me anymore."

"Then he is foolish."

She smiled up at him. She had him.

X

Diao Chan knocked on the Qiao's door. The older one answered. The younger one was curled up on her bed in the corner.

"What do you want?" Da Qiao answered.

"To help you escape. If you ever want to escape Dong Zhuo's paws, then I am your only way. Come with me. Now!"

The younger Qiao had leaped to her feet.

"We can't trust her." Da Qiao shouted at her sister.

"We have to."

"You don't have a choice." Diao Chan cut in. "Dong Zhuo hasn't shown you half of what he does with his pets. If you want to find out, then by all means stay."

Diao Chan turned and began running down the halls. Xiao Qiao followed her heels. Da Qiao followed somewhere in their wake. She led them through the maze of halls, making sure to not dodge the guards. Dong Zhuo's guards were so used to seeing her running through the halls that they didn't bother to stop her. Plus, they'd be able to tell Dong Zhuo where the Qiaos had gone too.

She stopped when she came to the balcony.

"You tricked us! This is where Dong Zhuo wanted to meet us."

"I know." She replied as she pointed to the ocean. "Jump."

"What!?" They both screamed.

"I'm a bender. I can catch you. Find my father, Wang Yun. He'll help you."

She heard Dong Zhuo's footsteps. She was out of time!

"We aren't…"

Diao Chan summoned a powerful wind that knocked both sisters over the railing. They screamed on the way down, but Diao Chan was able to make a powerful updraft to slow their fall so that there was barely a splash when they finally hit the water.

Dong Zhuo came up behind her. He grabbed her hair and threw her down on the ground. He didn't see her bending, or else he would have broken her neck.

"You bitch!"

She looked up at the moon. It was minutes away from its highest point. Lu Bu was minutes away. Minutes.

Dong Zhuo grabbed her by the neck and dragged her up to her feet. She could smell the wine on his breath.

"I'll teach you a lesson!"

He threw her back down on the ground. She landed on her shoulder. He sat on top of her and forced her onto her stomach. He used one hand to press her forehead to the ground and used his other to push her skirts to the side. When he was settled and ready between her legs, he yanked her head up by the hair.

Lu Bu was standing in the doorway. He stood, frozen in shock.

"I'll teach you! When I'm done, you'll never even think of betraying me again!"

She couldn't have planned this better if she tried. Her original plan was that Dong Zhuo would just beat her for releasing the Qiaos. When Lu Bu asked why Dong Zhuo had beat her, she'd tell him that it was because she couldn't bare to see the Qiaos treated the way she had been, but now Lu Bu had to be thinking that Dong Zhuo was going to violate her because she had planned on meeting Lu Bu and now Lu Bu heard it from Dong Zhuo's own mouth.

She never let her eyes leave Lu Bu's. Except when a tear flowed down her cheek just as Dong Zhuo was going to penetrate her.

Lu Bu stormed at them. He grabbed Dong Zhuo by the collar and hauled him up.

"You're drunk!" Lu Bu shouted. "Guards! Take him to his chambers."

"I'll have you lashed for this!" Dong Zhuo shouted as the guards dragged him off.

The guards may be paid with Dong Zhuo's coin, but it was Lu Bu to actually hand it to them and it was Lu Bu who gave orders and make the threats that were actually carried out. Dong Zhuo made empty threats and gave orders that didn't make sense, but Lu Bu always made those orders come together. So was it any wonder the soldiers chose to listen to Lu Bu and not Dong Zhuo?

"This is my fault." Diao Chan started right away. "Dong Zhuo wasn't supposed to be here."

"Did you tell him!?"

"No, he must have figured it out."

Lu Bu grabbed her by the elbow and pulled her to her feet.

"He'll pass out before the guards even get him to his chambers. Maybe he'll forget."

He turned to leave, but she grabbed the sleeve of his tunic.

"Lu Bu!"

He turned. His eyes took her in. She waited until his eyes had their fill to say;

"Thank you."

He grabbed her waist and backed her into the wall. She let out a small cry when she was slammed into the stone. A mistake.

"Sorry." He whispered.

"You think I haven't had worse?"

Another mistake.

X

Diao Chan was out of time. The coalition would attack tomorrow and she needed Lu Bu on her side, now. So she went to him after she cleaned up and took off her tassels and flowers.

She entered his chambers without knocking. He was sitting on his bed looking over a scroll. It looked like a supply list. He didn't look up at her right away. So she shut the door behind her and leaned up against it.

"I wanted to thank you, Lord Lu Bu."

He didn't respond, at least not intentionally. She saw him shift uncomfortably. She grinned.

"It was nothing."

"I wouldn't call that nothing. You saved me. I'm indebted to you."

He still looked uncomfortable. Normally this meant that she wasn't getting anywhere, but with Lu Bu, she was a sweet word or a tease from whatever she wanted.

She pushed off from the door and approached him, making sure to stay out of arm's reach, but within lunging distance.

Lu Bu shifted away from her.

"Are you afraid of me? The mighty Lu Bu reduced to this before me."

"I hurt you once. I don't want to hurt or make you sad again."

So the sultry teasing wasn't working as well as she thought it would. She decided to change tactics.

"You are making me sad. I don't know what it is I have done to offend you so."

He suddenly looked up at her, looking her dead in the eye.

"Nothing."

He said it genuinely. So he liked seeing her vulnerable. He didn't like the cold face she had to put on every day. Dong Zhuo loved it. He could take her, then everything would continue as it had before, no emotion, no longing, no hatred, no feelings, just sex. Lu Bu on the other hand, he may be a bloodthirsty warrior, but he needed attachment. Whether that attachment was lust or genuine true love and devotion she did not know, but she had a lead now.

Diao Chan leaned against his desk.

"Can I confess something?" She didn't wait for his permission before doing so. "I'm tired, Lu Bu. Everyday I've been wearing a mask without emotion. No one here really knows who I am. They just know the mask I wear."

"Why?" Was all he asked.

Lu Bu never was a man of many words. He didn't need them.

"For my father. He was hoping to use me to gain Dong Zhuo's favor."

"Swine."

"It's not uncommon."

"I don't have time for schemes and strategies that vermin use to get what they want."

"They have time."

There was a long pause. Normally Diao Chan would give a wondrous smile and take her leave on times like this, but she couldn't now. She was out of time. Dong Zhuo had to die and there were only a handful of ways she could do that. One, she could kill him herself, which wasn't an option really cause she may not succeed or she may be killed afterward and she did not want to die. Two, have someone else do it and Lu Bu was by far the best choice.

Her other choice had been Zhang Liao, but all he cared about was becoming a better fighter. So he had blind faith in Lu Bu's strength. He would never strike out against Lu Bu's benefactor and sworn father and risk angering the man that would make him the second strongest warrior in the land.

No one was stronger than Lu Bu, but she had found his soft side. Hopefully it was soft enough to bend him to her will.

"We have time, Lu Bu. I don't know what tomorrow will bring, but I don't want to die wearing my mask. I want to take it off, for you."

"There is nothing I wanted more."

Diao Chan moved over to him. She kneeled down in front of him and placed her hands on his knees.

"Do you remember that night, the feast at the emperor's palace?" She asked. "That was you watching Lui Bei and I, wasn't it?"

He nodded.

"Why?"

"Cause I can't stand the thought of anyone else touching you."

She stood up, so that their faces were level.

"There's no one else here."

She cupped his face in her hands to hold him steady as she tenderly kissed him.


End file.
